Method of attaching electrical terminals to insulator cards



y 11, 1943- A. 'BARTELHEIM 8 METHOD OF ATTACHING ELECTRICAL TERMINALS T0 INSULATOR CARDS Filed Feb. 24, 1943 1962/ f/GZ FIGS ga s 26 26' lNl/ENTOE L ,4. BHRTELHEIM HTTOENE Y Patented May 11, 1948 METHOD OF ATTACHING ELECTRICAL TERDIINALS T INSULATOR CARDS Leland .A. Bartelheim, Berwyn, 111., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New .York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1943, Serial No. 476.951

3. Claims. (Cl. 29-15555) This invention relates to a method of assembling articles, and more particularly to a method of attaching electrical terminals to insulators.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved, inexpensive and eflicient method of attaching electrical terminals or the like to sheets or cards of insulating material.

In accordance with the above objects, one embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of a method and apparatus for attaching electrical terminals to cards of insulating material, in which an insulator card and a superposed terminal are perforated simultaneously by means of a punch and a cooperating die, the punch having a tapered shoulder which, upon completion of the perforating operation and upon further movement of the punch into the die, is adaptedto draw an eyelet around the perforation in the terminal and simultaneously force the eyelet into the insulator card to attach the terminal to the card.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view of cooperating punch and die members of an apparatus embodying the invention, and means by which the method of the invention may be practiced;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sections similar to Fig. 1, but with the punch shown in different positions;

Fig. 4-15 a plan view of an insulator card having a plurality of terminals attached thereto by the method and apparatus of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a vertically reciprocable perforating and drawing punch ID, a cooperating die plate II and the usual stripper plate l2. Only portions of these elements are shown in the drawing, but it will be understood that the punch is attached to the reciprocatory ram of a conventional punch press (not shown) while the die plate is fixed to the stationary bed or platen of the press.

The punch [0 comprises a cylindrical shank H which is slidable in the stripper plate 12 and terminates in a reduced end portion l5, hereinafter referred to as the perforating portion of the punch. At the junction between the shank and the perforating portion of the punch there is provided a tapered shoulder Ii, by means of which the metal surrounding the previously periorated hole in the terminal is drawn to form an eyelet in the manner hereinafter described. For cooperation with the punch, the die plate i I is formed with a cylindrical punch receivingaperture It in axial alignment with the punch, and it will be noted that this die aperture is approximately the same size as the shank H of the punch.

In the operation of the apparatus, a sheet or card 20 of insulating material, such as phenol fibre or the like, is placed on the die plate ii and .a metal terminal member 2! is superposed on the insulator card, as shown in Fig. 1. The punch is then caused to descend so that the perforating portion l5 thereof punches a hole in the terminal and carries the resulting circular metal slug 23 through the insulator card, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby a hole of the same size is punched in the insulator card. The resultin circular slu 24 of insulating material together with the metal slug 23 are pushed through the die aperture l8 into a suitable scrap collection receptacle (not shown).

After the completion of the perforating operation described above, the punch is caused to descend further to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereby the tapered shoulder 16 thereof presses or draws the metal surrounding the hole in the terminal into a tubular eyelet 26 which remains integral with the terminal, as shown in Fig. 3. As it is being drawn, the eyelet is pressed into the insulator card, whereby an annular slug 2!! (Fig. 3) is punched from the insulator card, thus enlarging the previously perforated hole therein Just suificiently to tightly receive the eyelet and thus securely attach the terminal to the insulator card. The annular slug 28 is elected through the die aperture 18.

The inside diameter of the eyelet will, of course, correspond to the diameter of the perforating portion l5 of the punch, and the outside diameter 01' the eyelet will be substantially the same as the die aperture [8 or shank portion H of the punch. Thus, the size and wall thickness of the eyelet may be varied by simply changing the size of the punch and the cooperating die aperture.

In order to prevent the inching oil of the we let, the punch must not be permitted to descend beyond a predetermined level; its lowermost position should approximate that shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows an arcuate shaped insulator card 20 having a series of radially disposed terminals 2|, 2| attached thereto by the method and apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, and it will be understood that a plurality of these so-called ter- :ninai cards may be stacked and assembled in the usual manner to form banks 0! terminals, such as are employed in telephone systems. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each terminal is attached to the insulator card by two eyelets 26 integral with the terminal. By the use of two punches, both eyelets may be formed simultaneously, or, if desired, all of the terminals may be attached to the card simultaneously by providing the required number of punches and causing them to operate simultaneously.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof herein illustrated and described, but is capable of other applications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of attaching a terminal to an insulator which comprises the steps of placing the 1 terminal and the insulator in superimposed relation one to the other, perforating aligned holes of equal diameters in the terminal and insulator, then forming an integral tubular eyelet around the hole in the terminal, and simultaneously enlarging the hole in the insulator to receive the eyelet by forcing the eyelet into the insulator simultaneously with the formation or said eyelet and the punching of an annular portion from the insulator.

2. The method of attaching a terminal to an insulator which comprises the steps of placing the terminal on the insulator, perforating aligned holes or equal diameters in the terminal and insulator, punching an annular section from the insulator to form a hole therein larger than and coaxial with the previously formed hole, and simultaneously with said last-mentioned punching operation forming an integral tubular eyelet from the material of the terminal and forcing the eyelet into gripping engagement with the walls of the insulator from which the annular section has been punched.

3. The method of attaching a terminal to an insulator which comprises the steps of placing the terminal and the insulator in superimposed relation one to the other, perforating aligned holes of equal diameters in the terminal and insulator, punching a ring of material fromthe insulator coaxially with the hole previously formed therein, and simultaneously 'wedging the material which surrounds the hole in the terminal into gripping engagement with the sides of the hole formed in punching the ring from the insulator.

LELAND A. BARTELHEIM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 318,221 Thompson May 19, 1885 1,675,910 Riker July 3, 1928 1,950,156 Swoboda Mar. 6, 1934 2,020,408 Fruth Nov. 12, 1935 2,244,073 Lyon June 3, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,563 Great Britain 1897 433,597 Germany May 2, 1924 510,001 Germany Oct. 2, 1930 

